bacon



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shed 1.

M. BACON.

- ELECTRICAL INDICATOR. No. 324,635. Patented Aug. 18, 1885.

N. PETERS. Phulbliibcmphen Walhirlgtnn, D.C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. BACON.-

ELECTRICAL INDICATOR.

No. 324,635. Pate ted Aug. 18, 18.85.

FJGL.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

MURRAY BACON, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NOVELTYELECTRIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRICALZINDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,635, dated August18, 1885.

Application filed September 15, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, MURRAY Bncon, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certainImprovements in Electrical Indicators, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists of an improved electrical indicating apparatus,more especially intended for use on steamers, to indicate in thepilot-house in which direction the engine is running, and whether thesignals of the officcr in command to the engineer are being properlyobeyed. For this purpose I combine with the reversing and throttle-valvelevers, or other suitable parts of the valve-gear of the engine,electrical switches connected to the indicator, which is placed in thepilothouse, or wherever it is needed, the switches being operated by themovement of the valve levers to throw into or out of circuit one or bothof two magnets or pairs of magnets, which control apointer to indicateahead, back, or stop, or similar signs, according to the position of theswitches, due to the movement of the reversing and throttle valve leversof the engine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a diagram illustrating thecircuits and general arrangement of my indicating apparatus. Fig. 2 isan outside View of the indicator proper, to be put up in thepilot-house. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the indicator on the line 12, Fig. 4, and Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the same.

Referring to Fig. 1, R is the indicator-box in the pilot-house or otherdesired point, and L is a rocking arm connected with and operated by thereversing-lever of the engine, while L is an arm controlled by theoperatinglever of the throttle-valve.

S is an electrical switch, having a pivoted arm, 3, adjustably connectedby a link, Z, to the arm L, and adapted to make connection with eitherof two spring contacts, 1 and 2, according to the position to which thereversing-lever is moved. The arm L is connected by an adjustable link,Z, to the movable arm 5 of a switch, S, with a single contact, 3. Thecontact I of the switch S is connected, through a conductor, 5, with apair of eleotro-magnets, E E, the poles of which face each other, andthence the circuit through a return a wire, 4, containing a battery, M,and the switch S, to the switch-lever s. The contact 2 is similarlyconnected, through a conductor, 6, to a pair of electro-magnets, E E,(at right angles to the others,) and thence through the commonreturn-wire 4 to the same switohlever s.

In each of the two circuits is included an audible signaling devicediffering from that in the other circuit. Thus in the circuit 5 I haveshown an electromagnetic vibrator, C, with a bell, while in the circuit6 I have ineluded a buzzer, B, orvibrator without a bell.

Between the poles of the two electromagnets is an armature, A, whichcarries or con trols a suitable pointer-finger, P. When thethrottle-valve of the engine is olosed,the lever s of the switch'S willbe free from the contact 3 and the circuits through either pair ofmagnets open, so that the armature A will be unengine backward, asindicated in the diagram,

the switch-lever 8 makes connection with the contact Z and the circuitthrough the electroniagnetsE E and clear call-bellGis closed. The bell Cwill ring and the armature A will be attracted to the position indicatedin Fig. 1, and the finger P will point to the word back on the dial.

When the revcrsing-lever of the engine is thrown over to go ahead, thelever s will come into contact with 2, to close the circuitthroughsignal B and electro-magnets E E, which, acting on the armature A, willcause the pointer to be turned to indicate ahead. It will thus be seenthat each movement of the throttlevalve and of the reversing-gear of theengine will be indicated in the pilot-house even be fore the engineresponds.

Thus when the to show the-word Open when the switch is thrown open.

It will be understood that more than one of these indicators may beincluded in the cir-. cuit, and located at different points on thevessel.

' I will now proceed to describe the detailed construction of theindicator-box as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

The case D is preferably of the cylindrical form shown, withdial-platesd d on opposite sides having glass fronts d d. Within thecase is a brass frame, F, to which the case is secured, and within theframe are mounted the four eIectrom-a'g-nets E E and E E, these fourelectro-magnets forming, in effect, part of the frame, since theyconnect the front and. back plates, f f, of the frame F. Theseelectr0-magnets have polar extensions 0 eand e e projecting inwardtoward a central point,

which is the axis a of the armature A. This. axis is mounted in bearingsin the plates f f 7 and, projecting through the dial-plates d d,

carries at itsopposite ends the two pointers P.

To one of the plates f f, at one side, is 'secured the vibratorcall-bell C, while to another part of the frame is secured the buzzer B;but as these maybe of any suitable and well- 1 known construction itwill be unnecessary to 5 describe them in detail. I K In the dial-platesd d are out 'curvedfslots: d (P, and behind each dial is a reversible:plate, h, carried by an axis, H, mounted in: bearings in theframe-platesf f, and having a chain pulley or wheel, h, over whichpasses I a manipulating chain or cord, h Bygpullingi one or other end ofthis pendent chain or cord the plates h may be turned. The axis H alsocarries the electrical switch T in the returncircuit, and which consistsof a contact-arm, t, making contact with a spring-finger, t, Fig. 3, inthe return-circuit, when the reversible plate is in one position, andwith an insulated I stop, 1?, when in the opposite position. On; theface of each plate h are the'words Ahead, Stop, Astern, and Open. Whenthe; axis H is turned to throw the arm t into contact with the finger t,the words Ahead,

Stop, Back, all show through thecur-ved slot in the dial, as shown inFig. 2, while The dial-plates are preferably of ground glass or similarmaterial which will allow the letters to be seen at night when a lightis arranged in'side the case.

On the outside of the case are three binding posts, p 10 19 to which theconductors are to be connected, and to which the terminals inside thebox are connected; but it has been thought less confusing not toillustrate the circuits in Figs. 3 and 4. v

Instead of making the case of the indicator of the form shown anddescribed, it may be of rectangular or other form and only one dial needbe employed.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of the throttle-valve leverof-an engineand an "electrical switch operated thereby with anelectrical indicator controlled by said switch, substantially as setforth.

2. The-combination-of the 'reversing-l'ever-of an engine andanelectrical switch control-led thereby with an electrical indicatoroperated by said switch to show in which-direction the engine isrunning, substantially asset forth.

3. The combinati'on of the valve-levernofsan engine and :an electricalswitch controlled thereby with an indicator consisting of twoelectro-magnets and an armature, a pointer operated thereby, and a dial,substantially as 4. The combination of a valve-lever o-fan engineand-an-electrical switch operated thereby with an indicator consistingof a dial, pointer, and two elect-ro magnets controlling the pointer,each electro-magnet having an audible signal in circuit differingin-character from the other, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the slotted dial-plate and pointer with an axiscarrying-a reversible sign-plate, andaswitch' controlled by said axis,substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the slotted diahplate with an axis controllingaswitch and carrying a reversible sign-plate, a pulley, andamanipulating-chain, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MURRAY BACON.

Witnesses:

JOHN M. CLAYTON,

HUBERT HowsoN.

